


play for keeps and play to win

by AlexSeanchai (EllieMurasaki)



Series: chart the valley of your dreams [2]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: (netflix where is the rest of the season), Asexual Characters, Autistic Adrien Agreste, Autistic Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Canon Autistic Character, F/M, Fluff, Gabriel Agreste's A+ Parenting, Genderqueer Characters, Other, Puns & Word Play, Queer Character, Queer Het, Racism, assume spoilers through s02 Captain Hardrock, okay headcanon but fite me
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-28
Updated: 2018-07-28
Packaged: 2019-06-17 14:07:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,731
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15463077
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EllieMurasaki/pseuds/AlexSeanchai
Summary: Five public displays of affection.





	play for keeps and play to win

Marinette flew into the classroom eight whole minutes before the school day began—

—and tripped on the threshold—braced for impact on the tile—

—slammed into something warm, soft, and strong. "Hi," said Adrien.

"Hi," said Marinette, smiling like (she suspected) a lovesick fool.

Adrien ran a hand through one pigtail. "We've got to stop meeting like this."

"Why? It's so much fun."

A loud "OOOOOH" went up from Rose's direction. Mylène and Alix joined in.

"Kiss! Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!" Kim started chanting, and by the fourth repetition of the word half the room was in on it.

"When precisely did you two begin dating?" asked Max.

Adrien whirled on the classroom. "ZIP IT!"

Silence fell.

"Listen up," Adrien ordered. "As you all know, I am the face of Gabriel Fashions. My father says that therefore I am not allowed to date without permission. And _as you all know_ , I am an obedient son." He paused to wait out the burst of laughter. "Therefore, of course, I do not date. Anyone. Ever. _Obviously, therefore,_ Marinette and I are not dating." His voice dropped to a growl. "And if I find out my father has heard otherwise..."

"Um," said Alix, raising her hand after twenty seconds of silence. "Hypothetically speaking, if you two _were_ dating..."

Everyone suddenly looked very attentive, except Nino and Alya. "Don't answer that," Alya said cheerfully.

"Why, is there a betting pool?" asked Marinette.

Several shifty expressions.

"Oh my god, there _is_." Marinette glared at them all. "Well now there isn't. You heard him. Nobody's dating here. Give back all the buy-ins."

"Tomorrow," Max said sheepishly. "I don't carry cash like that."

"Don't lie, Max," said Nathaniel, "I know you got several new bettors in the Ladynoir pool after last night's Ladyblog update."

Adrien stiffened all over. Marinette might only have noticed because his arm was still around her, but—yes, they had gone out last night to play tag, but they hadn't done it any different from usual—had they?

"Go to your seats," snapped Mme. Bustier.

Marinette unwound herself from Adrien and headed to her desk, annoyed.

"Hypothetically speaking," said Adrien as he slid into his seat, "if I said 'yesterday evening', who won how much?"

"HA! SCORE!"

Everyone turned to look at Juleka, who pretended she hadn't made a sound.

"Seriously, Max, let me know," said Adrien. "Wouldn't want Rose to miss the fancy date I'm sure Juleka was planning on spending her winnings on, or anything. _Somebody_ should get some action around here."

Rose went pink.

Marinette bounced an eraser off Adrien's head, still grouching. They were _betting_ on her _love life_ , goddamnit, what right did that _alley cat_ have to—

She stopped. Scribbled a quick doodle on her notes to remind herself later. And at the first break between classes, she texted Adrien:

> _LB:_ the Grinch had a wonderful, awful idea

> _LB:_ [grinning-grinch.gif](https://i.imgur.com/4sJLtmW.gif)

> _CN:_ ?

> _LB:_ ask Max how much is buy-in on the LB/CN pool, and what the pool looks like right now

Adrien swiveled to stare up at her.

> _LB:_ 😼

> _CN:_ insider trading?

> _CN:_ you are evil, princess, I like it

> _LB:_ merely evil, not cruel. we'll donate it to an animal shelter or something

> _CN:_ sold.

* * *

Ladybug vaulted the akuma's shoulder—

Chat Noir dodged a fireworks blast—

Ladybug ripped the doll from the akumatized girl's hand, tore off one fragile arm—

"Gotcha!" Ladybug said triumphantly, her yo-yo closing around the purple butterfly.

A moment later, the white butterfly was winging away and Chat Noir's fist met hers. "Last week of September," he whispered.

"Been counting down, kitty?" Ladybug opened her hand, and Chat took it.

They turned as one toward the former akuma, who looked to Ladybug like a Han Chinese girl all of ten; she was weeping.

"See, you're so ugly even _Ladybug_ hates you," jeered a white boy of maybe twelve. "Little—"

Ladybug stared at the boy. Had he _seriously_ said that word?

"Henri!" The girl buried her face in her hands.

"Henri, is it?" repeated Chat Noir, voice pitched dangerously low.

"Chat," said Ladybug flatly.

"You heard him," said Chat.

Ladybug sighed. "You get her?" She let go of him and moved toward Henri. "You're Henri?"

"I am," said the boy, grinning. "Can I get your autograph, beautiful? I'm a _big_ fan."

Ladybug blinked three times.

"Hey there, my pretty mèimei," Chat said to the girl, dropping to one knee beside her. "What's your name?"

The girl sniffled and shook her head violently. "You're teasing me! Henri says—"

"All right, everybody back up a bit," Ladybug ordered. "Mademoiselle, what's the last thing you remember before you saw us?"

"Henri—he said—he said Ch-Ch-Chat Noir would never _love_ me because I'm _ugly_!"

Chat Noir growled.

"Down, kitty!" snapped Ladybug.

Chat took a deep breath, drumming his fingers on his knee, and another breath. "Mèimei, my heart belongs to another," he told the girl, and nodded toward Ladybug. "It's not you, it's me. Promise." He winked. "And you want to know something?"

"What?" asked the girl warily.

"I bet, if you work at it, when you're as old as Ladybug, you'll be _just_ as badass. And I bet you won't need to try at all to be _just_ as beautiful."

"You're a filthy liar!" Henri burst out.

" _Is_ he," Ladybug said flatly, staring the boy down. "Is he _really_."

Henri's eyes widened. "Everyone knows French girls are the most beautiful in the world?" he tried.

"Nice try," Chat Noir said dryly. "Zero slash ten, do not recommend."

Ladybug returned her attention to the girl. "Want to know something else, little sister?" she asked.

The girl's mouth fell open. "Uh?"

Ladybug smiled. " _You_ know and _I_ know we aren't _blood_ sisters," she told her. "But I bet if I had my mask off? White boy there—" She waved at Henri. "— _wouldn't_ know, because we look that much alike."

Henri spluttered.

Chat glanced back and forth between the girl and Ladybug. "I don't see it."

The girl burst into tears again.

"What?" Chat protested. "What'd I say? You two _don't_ look related—"

"Keep digging, white boy," Ladybug said, amused despite herself. Folding her arms, the girl's doll still in hand, she continued, "Now, Henri, what was that about my sister here being a rude word I don't care to repeat?"

"...nothing, mademoiselle."

"Good," said Chat. "Keep it that way."

Ladybug considered the girl's doll, since no Lucky Charm meant no Miraculous Ladybug; fortunately for all concerned, there wasn't a _whole_ lot of property damage this time. The fabric of the doll felt like plain cotton; the doll's qípáo, silk. "I can fix this," she told the girl. "If you'll let me."

"I—" The girl sniffled. "Of _course_ , Ladybug!"

"Can you write down your name and address, so I can return it?"

"I—yes—maybe? I don't have paper—"

"Here," called a black woman, one of the passersby dusting off her business suit. "I have a notebook and pen!" She handed the requested items to the girl, who scribbled a few lines and tore off the top sheet, giving it to Ladybug and returning notebook and pen to the woman.

_Jìngyí Cloutier_ , read the top line. "Jìngyí," repeated Ladybug. "That's a beautiful name." She smiled at the helpful woman. "Thank you, madame."

"My pleasure." The woman turned to Jìngyí. "Do you need help getting home?"

Jìngyí squared her shoulders. "No, madame, but thank you very much." She looked at Chat. "You—said jiějie is beautiful. And you were holding her hand."

"She is the stars in my sky," Chat said solemnly. "And damn straight I was."

Ladybug confided in a loud whisper, "He thinks he's smooth."

Jìngyí glanced between them, hesitantly. "Chat—do you really think I'm pretty?"

"I think," Chat repeated, "when you are as old as Ladybug is, you will be just as beautiful as she is. And she is _very_ beautiful."

"Aw, Chat," deadpanned Ladybug, "you're making me blush."

Jìngyí giggled.

"And Henri?" added Chat, since the boy hadn't had the sense to leave yet. "Cào nǐ mā."

Jìngyí covered her mouth, eyes very wide, but Ladybug saw her smile.

("That doesn't count," said Max the next day. "There is no documentation."

Marinette muttered something rude and placed a new bet.)

* * *

"Miraculous Ladybug!" she shouted, and threw the red-and-black polka-dot crowbar into the air, and _flew_ to Chat Noir's side.

"Ow," said Chat, sitting up.

" _Ow_ ," repeated Ladybug dangerously.

"Er. Me-ow?"

"I don't know whether to punch you or—" Rather than finish that sentence in front of _way_ too many listening ears, she grabbed Chat's hand and dragged him to his feet; she threw her arms around him, tightly, tightly, heedless of the ribs that a moment ago had sounded suspiciously broken, of the lungs that a moment ago—

She wasn't thinking about that.

"Bug?" asked Chat, sounding honestly confused.

"Don't," she snarled in his ear. " _Don't_."

Her earrings beeped. "Damn it," muttered Chat.

"This conversation isn't over, kitty," Ladybug informed him, and turned to run before anyone could see her cry.

That evening, homework done—well, as done as it was getting—Marinette got out her sketchbook and started outlining the model for...whatever she was designing this time. Anything would do as long as it didn't resemble that afternoon's monster truck akuma.

Her phone beeped. Marinette checked the text:

> _CN:_ hi

> _LB:_ hi :)

> _LB:_ you know the self-sacrificing thing you do? PLEASE TO NOT

> _CN:_ princess, if it's me or you, one of us has the power to purify akumas and I'm pretty sure it isn't me

> _CN:_ which is as much recap of THAT as I want to have today

> _LB:_ good, you're learning

> _LB:_ wait

> _LB:_ you sounded confused when I hugged you

> _LB:_ what about?

> _CN:_ nobody hugs me that tight

> _CN:_ nobody

> _LB:_ ...I need a few more words here

> _CN:_ I liked it! I'm just...confused is a good word

> _CN:_ normal people don't do the thing apparently

> _LB:_ it's been a while since I was accused of being normal

> _CN:_ *pbbbt*

> _CN:_ "tactile hyposensitivity associated with sensory processing dysfunctions related to autism"

> _CN:_ the doctor said like I wasn't going to look up all those words when I got home

> _CN:_ all of which btw Mari doesn't and won't know

> _CN:_ ftr

> _LB:_ okaaaaay

> _CN:_ things my father is, an abbreviated list:

> _CN:_ * an ass

> _CN:_ bc gods all forbid his child be anything less than perfect

> _CN:_ things being autistic isn't, an abbreviated list:

> _CN:_ * perfect

> _LB:_ oh kitty

> _LB:_ 💗

> _CN:_ yeah so anyway

> _CN:_ I would really like it if you hugged me more my lady

> _LB:_ it will be my pleasure my lord

> _CN:_ wait seriously

> _LB:_ I have google right here, you know

> _LB:_ wikihow is ridic helpful with the weirdest things

> _CN:_ I bet

> _LB:_ and I am going to go stare at the scriptautistic tumblr for a while later

> _LB:_ SPEAKING OF BETS

> _LB:_ do you think anyone documented that hug?

("That doesn't count," said Max the next day. "It's no different than when M. Césaire was akumatized and Chat Noir hugged her."

"If you say so," grumbled Marinette, and placed a new bet.)

* * *

"Whoa, whoa, hey, break it up!" Adrien shoved his way between Kim and Alix, getting a kick to the shin for his troubles. "What happened to friendly competitions?"

(Alix was aiming at Kim, Marinette thought as she pushed forward to stand back to back with Adrien.)

(Probably.)

"Permit me to quote Kim," Alix snarled. "'Damn cishets.'"

"Kim," said Marinette, glad Adrien was the one facing him, "Alix gets to sit at the cool kid table exactly the same as you do."

"Permit me to quote Alix," retorted Kim. "'Transphobic my ass.'"

"Alix," said Marinette, staring her friend down, "Kim gets to sit at the cool kid table exactly the same as you do."

"I feel like I'm missing some subtext here," Adrien remarked.

"Since you've both outed yourselves by implication," Marinette told Alix and Kim, "I feel absolutely no guilt in telling Adrien that Alix is aromantic, Kim is genderfluid, and therefore _both of them are queer_. And there _will_ be no squabbles at the cool kid table while I am around, _do you both hear me?_ "

"Okay, not missing subtext," said Adrien. "Missing _text_. Got it. What are 'aromantic' and 'genderfluid'?"

Marinette slapped herself in the forehead. That felt good, so she kept doing it.

"Mari," said Adrien, sounding worried.

She made herself stop. "Alix, Kim, how about you go in different directions and cool your jets?"

"Sure," said Alix. "I don't want to see any more of this loser today anyway."

"Absolutely," said Kim. "Hate to deprive her of her gold medal finish, though."

"Get lost," snapped Marinette. "Both of you."

Alix stormed off. Marinette turned around to see Kim's departing back and Adrien's model smile. The fake smile—the _nothing is supposed to be wrong so I'm going to act like nothing is_ smile.

"All right," she told Adrien. "You and me have a not-date with the Gender Unicorn."

He checked the time on his phone. "When? Because I'm supposed to be leaving for a photoshoot in fifteen."

"...yeah, that's not long enough. Tonight?"

That evening, Marinette made a point of dropping her phone into her purse (a newly made one, plain black and only visually distinctive from close enough to touch) before transforming, and snagging the purse on the way off the balcony right after. Ladybug met Chat Noir on a prearranged rooftop, and she promptly pulled out the phone. "[Gender Unicorn](http://www.transstudent.org/gender)," she said, handing it over.

"...okay," Chat said after a long silent moment of scrolling. "What happened to 'there are two kinds of people'?"

Ladybug pulled out her yo-yo and popped it open to phone mode:

> _LB:_ there are two kinds of people: those who can extrapolate from incomplete data

> _LB:_ 😛

> _LB:_ Alix is aromantic: she doesn't find any appeal to the hearts and flowers thing

> _LB:_ Kim is genderfluid: usually he's a boy, and he told us he wants 'he' pronouns regardless, but sometimes he's some other gender. don't ask him what other gender, because he HAS punched people for the attack helicopter joke.

> _LB:_ *I* know you don't know what that is and you wouldn't mean any harm by it, but that doesn't mean anyone *else* knows. or that it wouldn't *do* harm no matter what you meant.

> _LB:_ my gender is artist. 'she' pronouns are easier than arguing with strangers.

"Extrapolating from incomplete data," Chat mused. He scrolled up, bringing the purple unicorn back into view. "I'm...going to have to do a lot of thinking later."

"What about?" asked Ladybug, in what she hoped was a steady, supportive manner.

"You know the thing where everyone says teenage boys think about sex three times a minute?" Chat shrugged, looking out over the city. "I kind of figured everyone was pranking me. Until I figured out just how _many_ 'everyone' is. And then I kind of figured I was broken. One more thing to fake for the camera." He turned to look at her. "And then I met you, and I _still_ don't think about sex more than three times a day. Tops."

Ladybug, who had that beat easy, blushed. "You're not broken, kitty," she said softly. "I can't tell you what you are or aren't, but you sound a lot like me. Not allosexual, not asexual—somewhere in the gray area in between."

A beat.

" _Lots_ of thinking later," he said.

Ladybug laughed. "Totally fair." She scooted a little closer. "Hug?"

Chat threw an arm around her and pulled her in close. "Hug," he said, pleased. "Kiss?"

"Is it the third week of November yet?"

Chat checked Marinette's phone. "Why _yes_. Yes it is."

"Think anyone's around to take paparazzi photos?"

"Probably."

"Oh good."

("That doesn't count," said Max two days later, after the photos surfaced. "The images aren't clear enough—it might be cosplayers kissing."

Marinette placed her new bet in stony silence.)

* * *

"Goooood evening, Paris!" Alya grinned at her front-facing camera. "Live from the Place des Vosges, I'm Alya Césaire of the Ladyblog! And tonight, my Bugs, I have scored you a live interview with the heroes themselves, Ladybug and Chat Noir!" She tapped the phone screen, switching (presumably) to the other camera. "How are you both doing this fine evening?"

"We're feline fine!" said Chat Noir.

Ladybug pulled a pouting face, then smiled. "Always good to talk to you, Alya."

Alya flipped back to front-facing camera and plopped down beside Ladybug on the park bench, angling the phone to fit all three faces in the frame. "All right, my Bugs," she told her viewers. "here's the deal. Ladybug and Chat Noir are here to answer three questions each, plus three questions for both of them together. I've gone through the questions you submitted this past week and I picked out the very best! Here's our first question." She started the clip:

_"Hello, Chat Noir,"_ said a nervous-looking young black boy. _"My name is Luc. I tried to tell my friends that the things they make fun of me for because I am autistic are things you do too, like bouncing and making games with words, and that means you must be autistic too. They laughed at me and said you are a hero and that means you are not a freak like me. Are you sure you are not autistic?"_

Chat glanced at Ladybug. "I thought I told you not to tell anyone I told you that!"

Ladybug blinked three times. "I thought that was your ringer question!"

Alya rolled her eyes, very obviously now that the camera was back on the three of them. "I thought we weren't admitting to _having_ ringer questions."

"I hate you both," Chat informed them, and focused on the camera, suddenly vehement. "Luc, you are not a freak. You're absolutely right—I _am_ autistic. And anybody who thinks it's fun to laugh at the weird kid is _not_ your friend. _Nor_ mine."

"I'm autistic too," Ladybug added. "We don't know for official yet. It works differently in kids who are supposed to sit quietly and be ladylike than in kids who get away with murder because boys will be boys. But I don't need the official doctor's note saying I am to know what I am."

"So no," Chat continued, "neither of us is sure we're not autistic. And hey, look!" He smirked at the camera. "Still heroes!" He paused. "Hey, Bugaboo."

"Is this going to be a pun?"

"Hey, it'll make Luc happy."

"Good point. I suppose I'll allow it."

"You love my puns, Bugaboo." Chat bounced to his feet; Ladybug followed. "Alya, give us a dance beat!"

A minute and a half or so of techno and silly dance later, Chat snapped, "Freeze!"; they both stopped dead, holding the poses.

Ladybug made it a whole twenty seconds before she started laughing and had to straighten up.

"What _was_ that?" Alya asked.

Chat grinned. "Still heroes!"

"One more thing before we go to the next question," Ladybug said. "Luc, you asking that when I _know_ you thought everyone who saw it would laugh at you—I think that was _very_ brave." She smiled her brightest, held it a moment, and gestured out of frame for Alya to move on.

_"I'm Roshni and this one's for Ladybug,"_ said a girl who looked like she might be lycée age, when they hit the eighth question. _"What's the one thing you think is most important for your generation to know?"_

"Oh, um," said Ladybug eloquently. "I think I'm supposed to say something like 'reach for the stars'? But honestly—yeah, that's important, but no, it's not _the most_ important.

"The most important thing, I think, is to be yourself. And I know that sounds cheesy and overdone. But before you can _be_ yourself, you have to _know_ who 'yourself' is. You have to know who _you_ are. Not, who do people tell you you are supposed to be. Not even, who do you tell yourself you are supposed to be.

"Who. You. Are."

Chat cleared his throat, spinning the end of his tail so it repeatedly hit the bench. "It's really hard, sometimes, to know the difference between who you are and who people tell you you are. I mean. If your mom tells you your choices for dinner are roast beef sandwich and ham sandwich, you're going to end up eating one or the other, right? And if _everybody_ is saying the only choices in the whole world for dinner are roast beef sandwich and ham sandwich, and everyone's always said that as long as you remember, then when will you ever get to try pizza?" He coughed. "Long story short, I'm pretty sure I'm a little transgender and a lot of queer."

Alya fumbled her phone.

When the camera was steady again, Ladybug leaned in to confide to the viewers: "It me, too."

"I'm still getting used to the idea of being queer," Chat continued. "It's only been—what's today, the twelfth? Less than a month since this one—" He jerked a thumb at Ladybug. "—explained what the word even means."

"The poor sheltered sunshine child," Ladybug said with exaggerated sadness.

Chat snorted.

"He has to keep acting like he has no idea, mind you," Ladybug went on. "His family...well, let's say if they knew, he wouldn't be safe at home. And that sucks like you wouldn't believe."

"But now I know," Chat said quietly. "And I can be all of myself around Ladybug, and I can be more of myself around my friends than I ever can around my—parents. That's better than before."

"Hey," Ladybug said, turning so it was clearly to him, not the camera. "Hug?"

Silently, Chat pulled her into his lap and buried his face in her shoulder.

A pause.

"Well!" said Alya. "You two look awfully cozy! Which brings us to our final question." She played the clip:

_"Hi, Ladybug and Chat Noir! I'm Marinette. Is it true you two are finally dating?"_

Chat snapped his head up, exactly as though he hadn't known that was coming, and Ladybug could hear the grin in his voice. "Damn straight we are."

"Excuse me, what," Ladybug said flatly.

"Damn queer we are!"

Ladybug laughed. "That's more like it."

(Marinette grinned at Max and everyone. "Pay _up_.")

**Author's Note:**

> The gif Marinette links Adrien is from Dr. Seuss's _How the Grinch Stole Christmas_ (1966), and it is, in fact, the Grinch grinning at his wonderful, awful idea.
> 
> [Reference for the Mandarin swearing.](https://blogs.transparent.com/chinese/swear-words-in-chinese/) "mèimei" is "little sister", "jiějie" "elder sister".
> 
> The story title is from Seanan McGuire's "Dorothy".


End file.
